


California King

by notastranger



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Cuddling, Fluff, M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF, newton's POV so run-on sentences ahoy, seriously if you don't like fluff turn back now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-06
Updated: 2013-09-06
Packaged: 2017-12-25 18:56:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/956531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notastranger/pseuds/notastranger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermann is not a sleep cuddler. Bummer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	California King

It wasn’t exactly a rockstar itinerary, but the “Holy Crap These Two Scientists Helped Save the World” lecture circuit sure felt like one to Newt. He was starting to lose track of the cities and college campuses they visited, and thank God someone else was handling the logistics because it took all of Newt’s brainpower just to keep his notes straight and not get side-tracked by the awesome, _totally insane_ research and faculty positions they were getting offered left and right.

All in due time, Hermann had said, let’s wait until we’ve finished touring to decide where to go, and Newt couldn’t help but smile at the implication, that they were a package deal.

Sharing a hotel room wasn’t exactly living together but it was pretty close and whichever of Hermann’s quirks Newt hadn’t already gleaned from ten years of shared lab space (and one very unusual Drift), co-habitation revealed the rest.

He learned that Hermann liked to hang up his old-man sweaters rather than place them in a drawer. He learned that Hermann wiped the sink every time he used it even though a maid could totally do that, _c’mon_ , they’ve surely seen way worse than a few toothpaste stains.

He learned that Hermann would shut his eyes and bite his lower lip whenever Newton did something exceptionally pleasing and that was just fucking adorable as all get out.

Unfortunately, he also learned that Hermann did not like to cuddle.

The man could be affectionate – ridiculously affectionate at times, Newt _never_ had a partner who wanted to run their fingers through his hair quite as much as Hermann did – but when it came to sleeping arrangements, Hermann needed his space.

Which was a bummer, because Newt was a _total_ sleep cuddler. Big spoon, little spoon, it didn’t matter to him, so long as he was pressed up against someone, and even though Hermann was bony as hell, he couldn’t imagine snuggling with anyone else.

Hermann tolerated the cuddling, post-coital or otherwise, but inevitably (and just as Newt was starting to fall asleep which was especially annoying) he would clear his throat and insist that Newton move to his side of the bed, his leg would get sore like this and Newton was just so bloody _hot_ and he didn’t want to wake up with drool stains on his shoulder, thank you very much.

And Newt would want to make a snide comment about how Hermann sure didn’t mind his drool on _other_ parts of his body, but the last time he said that he ended up with an elbow in his gut, and he had mentioned that Hermann was bony, right? His elbows were like the business end of a javelin. So instead he’d mutter that it’s not his fault he’s hot, he can’t control his body temperature, but okay, maybe Hermann had a point about his leg, and Newt would suck it up and scoot over those precious two inches that seemed to be enough to let Hermann rest peacefully.

And it’s not like he meant to end up with his face pressed into the crook of Hermann’s neck or his leg flung over the other man’s hips, Hermann couldn’t possibly expect him to be responsible for what his body did while asleep, right? But Hermann blamed him anyway, poking him awake and grumbling sleepily about _space_ , Newton, we _talked_ about this, get over to your side of the bed this instant or you’re sleeping on the couch.

It was such a bummer. And it was made worse by the fact that the bed was usually a double (what a misnomer) and thus there wasn’t that much space to begin with – giving Hermann his two inches meant that there were no inches on Newt’s other side and he didn’t want to roll off the edge of the bed. Again.

Such were the sacrifices he had to bear, but Newt didn’t complain. Much.

~*~

They were giving their lecture at a university in Zurich. The school had been courting them _very_ strongly and it showed in the accommodations. “Dude! A California King!” Newton couldn’t help but shout, pointing to the giant bed.

Hermann’s enthusiasm was more subdued; he heaved a relieved sigh and leaned heavily on his cane. “Thank goodness. Perhaps I can get a proper rest without you crawling all over me in your sleep.”

Newton knew Hermann was teasing by the way the man’s too-thin-but-oddly-kissable lips twitched upward, but he pulled a face anyway. “I’m going to blame that on your jetlag and not you being your typical jerky self.”

They went right to sleep that evening, Newton giving Hermann the required two inches of space and for once not making a big deal out of it, because he was pretty jetlagged too and the bed was damn comfy.

 When he woke up the next morning and instinctively reached for his glasses on the nightstand, something warm and heavy prevented him from rolling over.

Newt yawned and squinted at the blurry shapes in front of him. Hermann was—

No. He must still be dreaming. Newt rubbed his eyes and looked again.

Hermann – Dr. Hermann “I Need My Space When I Sleep I Can Feel You Breathing On Me Move Over” Gottlieb – was curled up against his legs, head resting on Newt’s stomach as if it were a pillow.

“Herms,” Newton whispered.

Hermann made a quiet snuffling sound and nuzzled his cheek into the colorful tattoos.

Definitely asleep, Newt reasoned, because otherwise Hermann would have complained about the nickname. And wow, this was probably the sweetest thing to wake up to, and he could totally stay like this all morning, except his legs were starting to go numb from Hermann’s surprisingly strong sleep cling and maybe there was something to this whole “needing space” thing after all.

Newt tried to shift Hermann off his lap and the other man growled. Literally fucking _growled_ , like a dog guarding a bone or something. Jesus. Newt let him be.

Wherever they ended up, Newt decided, they were going to need a bigger bed.


End file.
